October 2016

20 October 2016

Local AM Paul Davies has called for action from the Welsh Government on Bovine TB, following the Welsh Government’s announcement of a consultation on its refreshed approach. Mr Davies called for reassurances that farmers in some parts of Wales won’t be hit by disproportionate measures, when the Welsh Government’s regional plans come into action.

Mr Davies said: “The Welsh Government need to get on with tackling this awful disease in both our cattle and wildlife reservoir and whilst the Cabinet Secretary has committed to monitoring the culling in Northern Ireland, the Welsh Government simply does not go far enough.”

He added, “A consultation has now been launched and I strongly urge farmers to make their views known. I want to see a strategy in place to tackle Bovine TB that uses all the tools at the Welsh Government’s disposal. It’s now time for the Welsh Government to do the right thing and adopt a holistic approach to eradicate Bovine TB once and for all.”

With winter on the way, local Assembly Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire has today called on his constituents to ensure they are taking advantage of free help and support with energy bills.

Mr Davies said: “There are some really simple steps that every household can take to help keep their bills down and their homes warm this winter. It’s important that households have a tariff that works for them and changes such as installing a smart meter shows how much energy you are using, and what you are spending. So the message this winter is that help is available and I urge everyone to get in touch to find out what advice and support is on offer.”

Local AM Paul Davies is urging all those eligible for the free flu vaccine to protect themselves against catching or spreading flu, which is a debilitating and potentially deadly illness. Mr Davies is joining calls being made by leading health professionals urging people aged 65 or over, carers, pregnant women and those with certain long-term illnesses to make an appointment with their local GP and get the free flu vaccine soon.

All children aged two and three years old on 31 August 2016, and children in primary school reception class, year one, two and three in school are also being offered protection with a nasal spray flu vaccine. The two and three year olds will have their nasal spray vaccine at their GP surgery and children in reception class, year one, two and three (generally aged 4 - 7 years old) will be offered their nasal spray vaccine at school.

19 October 2016

Welsh Conservative Deputy Leader Paul Davies AM responds to the Welsh Government’s budget announcement, which he says has failed to deliver for communities across Wales.

He said: “In an interview published today, the nationalist leader Leanne Wood said that Labour are a ‘problem’ for Wales; and yet yesterday Plaid Cymru were falling over themselves to do a budget deal with Labour – this is the height of hypocrisy.

“Press announcements from both parties hailed the budget a success, but there was no mention of the real terms cash cut for councils, meaning that local services continue to suffer and the grapple of hardworking families continues to harden, already having to contend with rising council tax rates.

Responding to the Welsh Government’s statement on Bovine TB, shadow rural affairs secretary, Paul Davies AM, welcomed the Welsh Government’s consultatioin on its ‘refreshed approach’ but believes it is a case of “too little, too late”.

He said:

“Sadly, Labour’s measures to tackle the scourge of Bovine TB do not go far enough in eradicating this awful disease.

“There is a clear requirement for a more holistic approach and the Welsh Government’s strategy should include all the tools at its disposal to ensure we eliminate Bovine TB in both our cattle and wildlife population.

14 October 2016

Local Assembly Member Paul Davies has expressed his anger and frustration at the Welsh Labour Government for blocking an Assembly motion to commit to an Autism Act in Wales. Mr Davies, who has long called for Autism legislation, took part in the debate to highlight the extensive waiting times for a diagnosis in Pembrokeshire and the need for legislation to ensure that local authorities record the number of autistic children and adults in their areas, to better inform their planning processes. The debate was supported by autism campaigners, who travelled from all across Wales to watch the debate live at the Senedd.

Mr Davies said: “I’m extremely disappointed and angry that Welsh Labour and the Liberal Democrats did not support the cross-party calls for an Autism Act in Wales to better support those living with autism across the country. Autism legislation is needed to ensure that a duty is placed on the relevant authorities so that people are then clear about the local services that are on offer and how those services are being delivered.”

12 October 2016

Local AM Paul Davies called for action from the Welsh Government over broadband services in Pembrokeshire. The Welsh Government has pledged £12.9 million of funding to reach the few per cent of premises that do not currently have access to an adequate broadband service. Mr Davies also questioned whether the Welsh Government had sufficient penalties at their disposal if the work is not carried out in a timely and appropriate manner.

Mr Davies said: “I’m pleased that the Welsh Government has brought forward a statement on the roll-out of Superfast broadband in Wales and whilst I acknowledge that progress has been made in some areas of Wales, in other areas, progress has been painfully slow. It’s important that BT Openreach are also monitored robustly and that the services that are promised, are now delivered. I will be writing to the Minister about specific issues in Pembrokeshire and I look forward to hearing more about the Welsh Government’s timetable for work in the local area.”

Local AM Paul Davies has called for action from the Welsh Government to deliver a much needed footbridge in Lower Town, Fishguard. Mr Davies criticised the delays in delivering a footbridge and asked for clarification that the footbridge would be delivered in this Assembly. In response, the First Minister agreed to write to Mr Davies on the matter.

Mr Davies said: “I was pleased to once again raise this important issue and I welcome any clarification from the First Minister on whether a footbridge will be delivered during this Assembly. There has been some confusion on this matter as we’ve heard Welsh Government officials and previous Ministers commit to action and yet the current Minister has now kicked it into the long grass. This confusion needs to be cleared up once and for all and a plan must be put in place to see this footbridge delivered for the people of Lower Town, Fishguard.”

Local Assembly Member Paul Davies has pledged his support for Childline as new figures show Welsh children contacted the helpline more than 7,600 times last year.Mr Davies attended a special event at the National Assembly for Wales with Childline’s founder Dame Esther Rantzen, who visited Wales as part of a tour to mark the NSPCC-run helpline’s 30th anniversary. Results showed that among the 7,605 Welsh contacts, low self-esteem and unhappiness were the most frequently discussed topics. However, bullying, including cyberbullying continues to be a growing concern as more and more young people are turning to Childline for support about the issues they are encountering online.

Mr Davies said, “I was delighted to attend Childline’s 30th anniversary celebrations at the Senedd. Childline provides an important service to our children and young people and it’s great that Childline counsellors can now be contacted in so many different ways, whether it be over the phone or online, via 1-2-1 chats or emails, so that its services are as accessible as possible.”

Welsh Conservatives Angela Burns AM (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire) and Paul Davies AM (Preseli Pembrokeshire) have issued a joint-statement in response to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs‘ statement today on the Oil Spill in Carmarthenshire:

“The oil spill, which has now resulted in the closure of both lanes of the A48, is a double-blow to the people of West Wales, cutting off both of its most vital economic arteries.

“The Welsh Government’s response to this mess has at best been lethargic.

“They accepted a roads programme that saw the project being dragged on for six weeks with no 24-hour working.

07 October 2016

Local AM Paul Davies called for action from the Welsh Government over dermatology services in the Hywel Dda health board area. The call followed a report by Skin Care Cymru which highlighted that there is no consultant dermatologist in the entire Hywel Dda health board area, despite the number of patients in the area being approximately 350,000.

Mr Davies said: “It’s extremely worrying that there is no current consultant dermatologist in the health board area and it’s essential that the Welsh Government provides urgent support to the health board in order to attract a consultant. Hywel Dda covers a huge geographical area and the absence of a consultant in the area could have a significant impact on the delivery of services in the future. Patients living in Pembrokeshire, and other parts of the Hywel Dda health board area should not have to travel further afield for dermatology services and the Welsh Government must now provide the necessary support to ensure a consultant is found as soon as possible.”

Farming industry representatives are gathering today in Llanelwedd, Powys, for a conference on farming in Wales post-Brexit.

Hundreds are expected to attend the event, organised by the Farmers Union of Wales, and Welsh Conservatives have today called on the UK government to put farmers’ voices at the top of the agenda in negotiations with the EU.

Shadow Spokesman for Rural Affairs, Paul Davies, said:

“Leaving the European Union presents Welsh farming with significant challenges as the EU market has been hugely important to our farmers – which is why we must work tirelessly to get the best deal possible.

05 October 2016

A six week closure to parts of the A48 outside Carmarthenshire will cause “severe disruption” to motorists and more could have been done to reduce the inconvenience, says Preseli Pembrokeshire AM, Paul Davies.

The criticism comes after a Written Assembly Question by Mr Davies revealed that the works are only being undertaken during daylight hours. The Cabinet Secretary has since published a Written Statement.

Mr Davies says the work could have been done in half the time if works continued on a 24-hour-basis.

04 October 2016

The First Minister has called data provided by the Welsh Assembly’s independent research service “wrong”, when confronted with the fact that just three in 10 GP surgeries in Wales are open after 6pm.

According to data verified by the Assembly service, just 132 out of 452 Welsh GP surgeries are open after 6pm, contradicting the First Minister’s assertion today that a “majority of services in Wales” offer appointments into the evening.

According to the Welsh Conservatives, the limited service provision places working people at a “huge disadvantage”.